8 replies to this topic

[Tesla]

I'm mainly a Windows user, however I do have an Apple Mac and many Apple devices.

 

I have installed Linux (Ubuntu) on a spare machine a while back, to take a look and see what all the fuss was about. If I ever get around to building an Multi-Arcade Upright MAME Cabinet, I see some using Ubuntu or even Batocera (I get it … it’s free, lean, and has the potential to run on older hardware). 

 

With VPX now supporting BGFX (and some other initiatives) … I get the impression that a completely free/open-source Pinball environment (including the OS) is becoming more of a reality, and maybe even desirable.

 

This looks interesting (yeah, I would need a Front-End for my 3-Screen Cabinet).

https://www.vpforums...topic=56046&hl=

 

So, for this to even exists, I suppose there are versions of VPX, B2S-Server, and vPinMAME … that run natively on Linux Ubuntu.

Pretty sure there are full-featured (gaming capable) Linux drivers for popular Nvidia/AMD video-cards (and sound-cards), so no problem there.

AFAIK, Linux-Gaming is not particularly popular but it is possible (if you have something worth playing).

 

But what about my Pinscaped KL25z (for switches, leds, nudging, and DOF devices)?

I don’t see a Linux Config-Tool for it or Pinscape-Pico.

And if the work-around is to dual-boot back to Windows-11 to config-it … do switches, leds, nudging, and DOF devices ALL still work while playing the VPX tables on the cabinet in Linux?

 

I do also have concerns about things like SSF-7.1 audio-support under Linux (so I’ll include it here for completeness). But without Pinscape support, it’s mostly irrelevant as that seems like deal-breaker for me (and I would think other cabinet owners as well).

Edited by Tesla, 03 November 2025 - 07:59 PM.

[jsm174]

You'd probably want to jump over to our Discord channel for better discussion on this. 

 

VPX Standalone on Linux/Mac/iOS/Android has everything bundled in it. There is no need to install several different pieces of software.

 

For example, Batocera 42 comes with the latest version of VPX Standalone 10.8.0 and supports most of DOF.  It's a good playground, since you can boot off a USB key and test things out, without messing up your windows install. 

 

SSF 7.1 is not support with 10.8.0 as BASS has issues on linux.

 

With 10.8.1, this has been completely fixed and tested by many in the community. 

[Tesla]

Cool. That's some good preliminary info, so thanks for all that.

 

Well, I don't see how it can support DOF and not Pinscape-like hardware, so that is promising.

I'll load Batocera onto a high-speed-class flash-drive, plug into a USB-3.0/3.1 Port, and give it a try for myself. 

 

If I need to talk to them later, I'll have some more intelligent questions.

 

I will add that now that I have a pretty-good understanding of how all the VPX and Pinscape stuff works in Windows-11 (with Pinball-Y as my Front-End on my little cabinet) I'm really liking it . I like the Windows foundation, the cabinet as a peripheral, and VPX is the game and/or simulation on top. 

 

I don't know the scene that well, so not sure if VPX-Standalone is the way of the future, or just another access-point to expand the reach of VPX and pinball in general. I've read that it's hard to get younger people interested in pinball (at least here in the US) if they didn't grow-up with it or played the machines in arcades.

Edited by Tesla, 04 November 2025 - 02:36 AM.

[jsm174]

> Well, I don't see how it can support DOF and not Pinscape-like hardware, so that is promising.

 

 

We've been working on this eco-system for past three years. - https://github.com/j...aster/README.md , https://www.jsm174.com/goonies/

 

 

Anyway, much of standalone specific code has been merged into 10.8.1 and everything going forward now keeps cross platform in mind. 

[Tesla]

> Well, I don't see how it can support DOF and not Pinscape-like hardware, so that is promising.

 

 

We've been working on this eco-system for past three years. - https://github.com/j...aster/README.md , https://www.jsm174.com/goonies/

 

 

Anyway, much of standalone specific code has been merged into 10.8.1 and everything going forward now keeps cross platform in mind. 

 

I see libDOF . Wow, you have been busy.

 

Good you were able to use MJR's vast contributions as his work always seemed solid to me. Bringing-in libPinmame seems like a milestone. So, talented developers sharing does work. This Linux-thing is like a whole other world over there (similar to Apple-Mac world).

 

Nice work on converting the old Demolition Man pinball-machine to a Virtual-Pinball Cabinet. Yeah, the Nvidia 10-series cards were good. I'm still running my GTX-1070's on my VPX-cabinet and home-theater's Kodi-box.

 

You have certainly peaked my interest in VPX-Standalone for Linux. I'll load-up Batocera and take a closer look soon.

Edited by Tesla, 04 November 2025 - 06:26 PM.

[Tesla]

For example, Batocera 42 comes with the latest version of VPX Standalone 10.8.0 and supports most of DOF.  It's a good playground, since you can boot off a USB key and test things out, without messing up your windows install. 

 

 

 

So, I booted-into Batocera for the first-time the other day.

 

Determined not to mess with my cabinet's computer too-much, I left BIOS in UEFI/SecureBoot-Mode and did the MOK-Management key thing. I didn't even know you could "Enroll a new Key" like that (so pretty cool), and I learnt something new. And more importantly, it worked <smile>

 

So this is where retro-gaming is today huh? Interesting enough and I can see the attraction for some.

I like that all these games are being preserved (like how we are preserving the pinball-tables ... well, the best we can).

My old C64c was the revised-one that looked like that. IIRC, I saw an Amiga-500 Batocera-module in a YT video, so that's cool.

Edited by Tesla, 06 November 2025 - 03:09 AM.

[Tesla]

VPX Standalone on Linux/Mac/iOS/Android has everything bundled in it. There is no need to install several different pieces of software.

 

For example, Batocera 42 comes with the latest version of VPX Standalone 10.8.0 and supports most of DOF.  

 

So, I have Batocera v42 running from a self-booting USB-Flash Drive, but I don't see a Visual Pinball (emulation module logo) pre-loaded. I just see C64 and some others.

 

I used batocera-x86_64-42-20251006.img.gz (Desktop PC - Intel) from https://batocera.org/download .

 

I started here: https://wiki.batocer...nstall_batocera

 

Also, with just a common PC-Keyboard and mouse connected... how do I get to the real Main-Menu? Am I suppose to have a game-controller connected also?

Edited by Tesla, 09 November 2025 - 03:39 PM.

[jsm174]

but I don't see a Visual Pinball (emulation module logo) pre-loaded. 

 

You wont until you add at least one table. 

[Tesla]

but I don't see a Visual Pinball (emulation module logo) pre-loaded. 

 

You wont until you add at least one table. 

 

I hooked up a wireless xBox-360 Controller before I booted it up for the second time. Much better as now I can finally get to the Main-Menu and do some setup-config.

 

I used the built-in File-Explorer to create the simple folder-structure (I read in Wiki) , and copied-in a few roms and table-files.

I played some F14-Tomcat and Terminator-2 on 3-screens with the keyboard.

Some good progress for 2nd-session.

 

Why is it cool?

- It's retro ... I feel like I'm in a time-warp <smile>

- It appears to support my 3 (vp cabinet's) screens.

- Kodi. I know about it as I have a Kodi (for Windows) machine in my Home-Theater.

- I saw a place for Amiga-1200 roms. I loved my Amiga-500, but we didn't really have Amiga-600/1200 here in the states (IIRC, they were a little faster and had the AGA-chipset).

- It's fairly obvious ... You and the others have put a lot of time and effort into all this.

 

I'll try more later, and report back here.

Thanks for the help getting started.

 

Edited.

Edited by Tesla, 10 November 2025 - 12:45 AM.